Project Description
Priorities
• Open up the compartmentalized, dark kitchen
• Maximize storage
• Use cohesive materials throughout to unify the space
Solutions
To expand this small kitchen, architect Kent Lineberger removed the
pantry and incorporated the hallway into the space. This change required
contractor Steven Whitlock and his crew to install beams to carry the
load of the upper level. “It took a lot of work by the engineers and
builders to fit the beams into the ceiling so it had structural
integrity but we didn’t lose ceiling height,” Lineberger says.
Another challenge for the building crew was to level the floors.
Lineberger says that there were several raised areas and thresholds on
the main level where the flooring type changed. The owners wanted to
consistently run heart pine flooring throughout that part of the house,
so the team salvaged some of the existing pine floor for reuse and
combined it with boards cut from reclaimed pine beams.
Though
it’s not uncommon to see stained Arts and Crafts or Shaker-style
cabinets in these types of bungalows, the owners of this home wanted to
create a slightly different mood and tone. Lineberger specified custom
painted wood cabinetry that looks modern but still fits with the
traditional style of the 1917 home. Clean lines and wide trim throughout
the room pay homage to the home’s original millwork. The traditional
elements in the kitchen include the curved toe-kick design, the
subway-tile backsplash, and the wood rangehood cover. The island, with
ample seating for three, resembles a piece of furniture. Widening the
openings to the dining and living rooms provides a better connection to
those casual living areas, and a new bar area is conveniently located at
the end of the kitchen closest to the dining room.
Three
double-hung windows in a bay frame above the sink replace the single
window that was originally there, bringing in more natural light and
providing a deep sill, which the homeowners had requested. Since the bay
protrudes about a foot from the exterior and has corbel supports
underneath it (to avoid the need for foundation work), the design
required approval from the neighborhood’s historical review board.
Judges’ Comments
Incorporating the original hallway and pantry into the kitchen was the
key to this project, the judges said. They used the words “charming,”
“pretty,” and “fresh” to describe this kitchen. “Every piece they
touched, they improved,” said one judge.
Products
Cabinets : custom, Bill Truitt Woodworks
Countertops : granite and marble
Dishwasher : Bosch
Hardware : Baldwin
Lighting : Cooper Industries, Halo
Oven : Wolf
Refrigerator : Sub-Zero
Windows : Jeld-Wen